


counterfeit

by orphan_account



Category: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry
Genre: Angst, Bad Ending, Gen, kai spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28927815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: this wasn’t the real rika ; someone had replaced her. // kai + tatarigoroshi spoilers
Relationships: Furude Rika & Houjou Satoko
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	counterfeit

“Satoko?” 

The tiny blonde didn’t respond right away. She was trembling. “I heard what you said. I heard everything! What does it mean?”

Rika stood there, confused. She had no idea what Satoko was asking her about - this has never happened before. Was this about her uncle? Did she overhear her conversation with the others? 

Satoko glared at her. “First it was Nii-nii… now it’s you! I trusted you!! You’re not the real Rika-chan!! You’re not!!”

Rika stopped. Satoko was unmedicated because she was living with Teppei now, so usually she was the one everything fell into place around… though, either Shion or Keiichi, maybe Rena, maybe all three of them may act as well. The end to this world isn't determined, but it was already too late. This was one of the worst case scenarios - and she’s seen it again and again. 

In the world where he returned to hinamizawa, nothing could be done. It would end in tragedy no matter what. Child services wouldn’t listen. Even if she could prevent the others from trying to act somehow, Satoko would still break, and she’d be killed. She wasn’t confident which would happen first, exactly, but that’s what would happen.

Despite her feeling of hopelessness, she didn’t see the harm in hearing Satoko out. “Silly silly Satoko! There’s only one of me! Maybe you’re still not feeling well! Nipah-!” Satoko didn’t calm down. She was usually worn out and lethargic by now, but something was different. She gave Rika an accusatory glare.

“I heard what you said to Keiichi!!”

Keiichi? Not the whole club?

Oh. _Oh._ Rika did get frustrated and said more than she should have to Keiichi.

“What do you mean this world is doomed? What do you mean you’re done with this world? What does it mean! Who are you?” She grew more and more hysterical as she spoke, but she kept talking. “That voice… you’re not Rika!! You’re not even from this world!! Rika… Rika abandoned us! Just like Nii-Nii! She abandoned everyone, she abandoned hinamizawa, and she abandoned this world! Who else is a fake? Is Rena a copy? Is Mion a copy?”

Rika sighed. Satoko caught on to enough to know she wasn’t “from” this world. She wouldn’t be for much longer either, it seemed. She was a traveler, a bird in a cage rolling the dice trying to save everyone. 

Abandonment? Her death was inevitable.

Despite herself, Rika couldn’t play the role of naive little miko Rika-chan anymore. Her eyes glassed over, a dull, tired expression on her face. “That’s an understandable conclusion to reach, given what you have. Don’t worry, everyone else is confined to this world alone, including you. Even now, saying that won’t help you much, will it? Hah.”

Satoko’s eyes widened, but she stood her ground, refusing to let this imposter pretend to be her best friend for any longer.

“Stop it! Stop this now! How dare you wear Rika’s skin you demon! What happened to Rika? Where did she go? Why did she leave too? Why?”

“Mii,” Rika said, returning back to her usual, gentle speaking tone. “I think you’ll feel better if you keep taking your shots. You stopped taking them, right? Teppei threw everything away. Irie can get you a new one, so we can go to the clinic.”

Satoko was unable to hide her horror anymore. “Stop it stop it stop it!! Why do you know that? Why did the real Rika leave this Hinamizawa? If you’re a fake Rika, you will too! You’ll leave everyone behind, you’ll disappear just like Nii-Nii did! No more! I can’t do it anymore! Haven’t I been punished enough? I know my sin, I know it! So please, forgive me!!”

“Satoko…” Rika reached out to her friend, trying to relax her. 

“No!! Don’t touch me, faker!! Stop pretending to be Rika, stop acting like Rika!! Even if you are Rika, you’ll leave too! All the Rikas will leave Hinamizawa and this world behind!! Rika wouldn’t… she wouldn’t! You’re a fake, a fake!! Stop wearing her skin, stop it!! How dare you steal Rika’s appearance! If you don’t leave… if you don’t stop pretending to be Rika, I’ll rip her shell off of you myself! You don’t deserve to wear it!!”

Rika was shoved to the ground. Her friend wasn’t very strong, but her emotions were. She felt her short nails digging into her skin, pulling her hair, scratching away at her face as hard as she could. She doubted she’d even die through this, and even if she could, it would take much too long. 

Everything stung, and the physical pain almost numbed those intense feelings of despair.

“Stop looking like Rika! You’re not Rika!! I know you’re not!”

She continued to shout nonsensical things as she clawed and tore away. She’d occasionally stop to scratch at herself, her wrists, her forearms, and… her throat.

  
  



End file.
